The origins of this event stemmed from a conversation I had with Iraqi Princess Nisreen El-Hashemite. We were discussing the Paris Agreement event at the United Nations while the Princess was visiting Istanbul. She told me she wanted to launch an event on sustainability at the United Nations. I said, “If you want to organize an event, it’s beneficial to keep it rich. You need to create something that no one else has done.” I suggested, “From what I’ve observed so far, politicians, bureaucrats, and NGOs are the ones speaking at the United Nations on sustainability and renewable energy. In reality, the work revolves around technology and projects. If projects aren’t implemented and technological advancements aren’t made, no one can lecture on these issues. Therefore, I believe those involved in these projects should speak at the United Nations and inform everyone.”
Nisreen thought it was a great idea and asked if I could support her on these issues. I agreed to support her in any way I could, and we began discussing the details of the event. Afterward, I tried to contribute as much as I could.
A week before this event, held on Monday,6 June, Princess Nisreen arrived in Istanbul again. I met 10-year-old Talya, who would speak at this event to explain the children’s vision, and her parents at dinner during the event. As soon as I met Talya, we immediately bonded. I was impressed by Talya’s self-confidence and the adult-like way she constantly asked me questions. Our conversation continued in both Turkish and, since there were foreigners at the table, English. During our conversation, I learned that Talya, who speaks English so well at her age, was studying at Açı Schools. I congratulate the founders and administrators of these schools, whose name I’d never heard of before. Talya’s example clearly demonstrates their high standards and the quality of their education.
I departed for the United States on Sunday, 5 5th. That same day, I met with Richard from the RASIT team, the organizers, and several of the speakers to go over some details of the event. The next morning, Princess Nisreen arrived. We met with Talya and her family. The conference was scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM. We were told we’d meet in front of the United Nations at 2:15 PM. We stayed until the meeting time and had a snack in the lobby of the UN Millennium Hotel, located just across from the UN. As Talya and I continued our pleasant conversation, I couldn’t help but tell her mother that she was a very sweet girl and that her family was lucky to have her. Her mother said, half-jokingly, “Yes, she’s very sweet, my daughter, but raising her isn’t easy.” Talya’s aunt joined in, adding, “Talya is a Gemini.”
I asked, “What happens when you’re a Gemini?” One of her aunts replied, “She’s a bit erratic. One day doesn’t match the other.” Seeing my smile, Talya immediately interjected, with a repartee unexpected from a child her age: “What am I supposed to do? It’s my mother’s fault. She shouldn’t have given birth to me in June,” which caused laughter across the table. Talya’s reaction reminded me of a Zaytung news article: http://www.zaytung.com/haberdetay.asp?newsid=281883
Joking aside, the red-haired Talya, who reminded me of someone I know, chatted with me with all her sweetness, and these thoughts ran through my mind: “I want to have a daughter like Talya. I hope that she, who is intelligent and well-educated, will also possess superior qualities in character: I want to see her grow into an adult who is kind-hearted, loyal, strong-willed, empathetic, and has a conscience. In my opinion, when the mind and heart are in the right place, a person possesses superior qualities. And of course, her circle of friends is very important. Her family, no matter what the circumstances, thinks what’s best for her and strives to guide her. However, when a child is influenced by the wrong circle of friends, no matter how bright and high-potential they are, they make serious mistakes. I wish her a happy and beautiful life, where she generally makes the right decisions in life.”
After this lunch and pleasant conversation, we set off for the United Nations. We entered the UN building with our accreditation cards. We waited in the meeting hall for the previous meeting to conclude. Then we entered the meeting hall. Everything was organized. We took our seats.
Agora founder Princess Nisreen El Hashemite began the speech. Talya, one of the first to speak, delivered a wonderful speech. When my turn came, I gave a presentation of approximately 20 minutes. You can find the footage of the three-hour meeting at the link below (Talya’s speech begins at the 20-minute mark, and mine at 37:30): http://webtv.un.org/watch/transforming-the-world-through-sustainable-energy-for-all-leaving-no-one-behind/4930324186001
To summarize what I conveyed in my presentation, I began by explaining the philosophy of renewable energy. I explained that there is a constant struggle on Earth for ownership of fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, and that humanity can even wage war over the distribution of resources found on and below the Earth’s surface. However, the sun belongs to all people, and this brings about natural peace and democracy in the global order. I also added that when technology is used correctly, renewable energy plays a crucial role in protecting nature.
I then continued by introducing renewable energy types and their application areas, noting that off-grid systems are becoming increasingly popular in solar energy. As an example of such an application, I showed a film of EkoRE’s solar-powered agricultural irrigation project in Şanlıurfa and explained the advantages of consuming solar energy where it is produced. I also believe I sent an important message to the representatives of all countries attending the meeting by saying, “It’s no longer necessary to ask how much of total energy production comes from renewable energy. The correct question should be, when will the transition to 100% renewable energy be achieved?” In my speech, I emphasized that fossil fuels like oil and natural gas are valuable raw materials and should be used in the petrochemical or fertilizer industries, respectively. I stated that by building a solar power plant on just 0.4% of Türkiye’s land, enough energy could be generated for the entire country. This would eliminate foreign energy dependency and even enable Türkiye to become an energy exporter.
In some sections of my speech, I also referenced the 17 Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. You can read these goals at http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/. During my presentation, I explained the reasons for choosing renewable energy, the different renewable energy sources and technologies, the application models for these sources and technologies, the feasibility of achieving 100% renewable energy globally and in Türkiye, and the vision needed to combat climate change. Within this vision, I explained that countries will need to transform themselves in the future and that they must achieve change in the following areas:
- Transition to 100% renewable energy,
- Optimize energy consumption through energy efficiency,
- Use fossil fuels as raw materials instead of burning them (e.g., oil for the petrochemical industry and natural gas for fertilizer).
- Water is life. Protecting water resources and using water efficiently.
- Sustainable urban planning and building homes (e.g., the passive house concept, which generates its own energy).
- Sustainable transportation using solar-powered electric vehicles.
- Maintaining the natural cycle (e.g., biogas projects).
- Allocating resources to R&D for technological advancement by the private sector, the public sector, and all relevant institutions, and making this a serious priority.
- Providing training to all segments of society (children, youth, parents, the elderly, teachers, etc.) in sustainability and technology.
Finally, I announced our collaboration with the Royal Academy of Science International Trust (RASIT), which intensively supports female scientists. We will have two collaborations with RASIT. First, we jointly launched the Agora program at the United Nations, where representatives from the private sector, civil society, and public organizations implementing renewable energy and sustainability projects and developing technologies will speak. We will continue this program. Second, we are launching a joint internship program. I stated that EkoRE, the company I founded, has been successfully running its internship program in Türkiye for three years with ITU, and that we plan to expand it globally. I announced that we would bring interns from around the world and train them in collaboration with RASIT. I also announced that we would prioritize gender equality and ensure an equal ratio of male and female interns selected for the program.
Besides my speech, there were other talks on sustainability, renewable energy technologies, and the perspectives of countries and cities on this issue. One of these was delivered by Ben Kallos, a representative of the New York City Council. During his speech, he mentioned some of the good work being done in the city regarding sustainability. I couldn’t help but ask him this question: There’s a question I’ve always wanted to ask the people who govern New York, and since you’re here, I wanted to ask it: Have you ever measured New York’s carbon emissions?
He went off on this question, saying he was also a computer engineer and that they were making correlations with various micrometric measurements. I concluded by saying, “If you had a professional company measure New York’s carbon emission, you’d realize you’d need to work much harder and make many changes.”
After all the speeches were completed in three hours, the classic post-conference chat began. The event concluded at 6:00 PM, and we left the UN building at 7:30 PM.
Talya and I took a picture at the exit.
Afterward, we left the group and went to dinner at the St. Regis Hotel with Nisreen, Talya, and her family. We concluded our day with a delightful dinner. Below are links to news articles and related images regarding the Agora event:
http://www.iisd.ca/energy/agora/2016/
http://www.dunya.com/sirketler/turkiye-enerji-uretip-ihrac-edebilir-302799h.htm
http://www.borsagundem.com/anlik-borsa-haberleri/20160613061455
http://www.haberler.com/serhan-suzer-turkiye-enerjisini-gunesten-8522814-haberi/
http://www.gazeteekonomi.com/sektor/turkiye-enerjisini-gunesten-saglayacak-h213916.html
http://www.hur24.com/turkiye-enerjisini-gunesten-saglayacak-8622h.htm
http://finans.mynet.com/borsa/haberdetay/20160613061455/
In my next post, I’ll be writing about the details of the Paris Agreement signing ceremony at the United Nations, which I haven’t been able to write about for a long time.
Stay well until we meet again.
Tag: ecology
